We all have seen a lot of innovative fabrics this year at Outdoor Retailer, but only The North Face is revolutionizing the way outerwear is actually stitched together. The company recently unveiled its Fuse Uno Jacket, which is made from a single piece of HyVent Alpha waterproof-breathable fabric.

Whereas most jackets are stitched together from dozens of individual pieces of fabric, the jacket wizards at The North Face, after lots of trail and error, figured out how to construct a jacket with just one. We call it high-tech origami; they call it FuseForm construction. Either way, the result is a sleek, minimalist, and almost seamless shell that offers big-time protection but weighs just 12 ounces.

Even cooler, the fabric is woven with two different yarn types, which allowed the designers to construct a jacket that is more durable in the shoulders and arms and more breathable in the torso. Available this fall.

· 30D HyVent Alpha 3L nylon ripstop outer
· Fully taped seams
· FuseForm construction
· Harness- and pack-friendly, waterproof zippered hand pockets
· Waterproof zippered Napoleon pocket
· Summit Series

price: $399 usd

producer: the north face
period: 2014